Page 2 - aruba-today-20220913

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 13 sepTember 2022
Continued from Front legations:
Zatko, a respected cyber- — The company had such
security expert, was Twit- poor cybersecurity that it
ter's head of security until easily could have been ex-
he was fired early this year. posed to outside attacks or
He has brought the stun- attempts to siphon off its in-
ning allegations to Con- ternal data.
gress and federal regu- —The company lacked ef-
lators, asserting that the fective leadership, with its
influential social platform top executives practicing
misled regulators about its "deliberate ignorance" of
cyber defenses and efforts pressing problems. Zatko
to control millions of "spam" described former CEO
or fake accounts. Jack Dorsey as "extremely
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois disengaged" during the last
Democrat who chairs the months of his tenure, to the
panel, has said that if Zat- point where he wouldn't
ko's claims are accurate, even speak during meet-
"they may show dangerous ings on complex issues.
data-privacy and security Dorsey stepped down in
risks for Twitter users around November 2021.
the world." Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, —That Twitter knowingly al-
Zatko's accusations are Germany, March 22, 2022. lowed the government of
also playing into billionaire Associated Press India to place its agents
tycoon Elon Musk's battle on the company payroll,
with Twitter. The Tesla CEO uled to vote on the com- attract advertisers, whose Zatko was fired in January where they had "direct un-
is trying to get out of his $44 pany's pending buyout by payments make up about for "ineffective leadership supervised access" to high-
billion bid to buy the com- Musk. The vote is something 90% of its revenue. The and poor performance." ly sensitive data on users.
pany; Twitter has sued to of a formality given that the "spam bots" have no val- Zatko's attorneys say the It makes a parallel but less
force him to complete the deal is on hold while the ue to advertisers because performance claim is false. detailed accusation that
deal. The Delaware judge court case plays out. But if there's no person behind Twitter also hinted that Twitter took funding from
overseeing that case ruled the measure passes as ex- them. Zatko's complaint might be unidentified Chinese enti-
last week that Musk can pected, it would also pave San Francisco-based Twit- designed to bolster Musk's ties who may have gained
include new evidence re- the way for a Musk take- ter has an estimated 238 legal fight with the com- access enabling them to
lated to Zatko's allegations over should Twitter prevail million daily active users pany. Twitter called Zatko's access the identities and
in the high-stakes trial set to in court. worldwide. The company complaint "a false narra- sensitive data of Chinese
start Oct. 17. Zatko also filed complaints says it removes 1 million tive" that is "riddled with in- users who secretly use
The allegation that Twitter with the Justice Depart- spam accounts daily. consistencies and inaccu- Twitter, which is officially
engaged in deception in ment, the Federal Trade Zatko's 84-page complaint racies, and lacks important banned in China.
its handling of automated Commission and the Secu- alleges that he found "ex- context." Better known by his hacker
"spam bot" accounts is at rities and Exchange Com- treme, egregious deficien- News of Zatko's complaint handle "Mudge," Zatko, 51,
the core of Musk's attempt mission. Among his most cies" on the platform, in- surfaced on Aug. 23, al- first gained prominence in
to back out of the Twitter serious accusations is that cluding issues with "user most two months before the 1990s. He was the best-
deal. Twitter violated the terms privacy, digital and physi- the Twitter-Musk trial is known member of the Bos-
At the same time, many of of a 2011 FTC settlement by cal security, and platform scheduled to begin. . One ton-based collective L0pht,
Zatko's claims are uncor- falsely claiming that it had integrity/content modera- of Zatko's attorneys has which pioneered ethical
roborated and appear to put stronger measures in tion." It accuses CEO Parag said "he's never met Elon hacking, embarrassing
have little documentary place to protect the secu- Agrawal and other senior Musk. Doesn't know Elon companies including Mi-
support. In a statement, rity and privacy of its users. executives and board Musk. They know people in crosoft for poor security. His
Twitter has called Zatko's The SEC is questioning Twit- members of making "false common." work raised awareness in
description of events "a ter about how it counts and misleading statements The company also says it the computing world that
false narrative." fake accounts on its plat- to users and the FTC" about has significantly tightened forced such major com-
Also on Tuesday, Twitter's form. Twitter uses counts of these issues. Twitter denies security since 2020. panies to take security seri-
shareholders are sched- its presumably real users to those claims and said that Among Zatko's specific al- ously. q

Gov. Kristi Noem's activity to be limited after back surgery

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — on Twitter that she injured much," the governor said
South Dakota Gov. Kristi her back about two months in the video where she ap-
Noem disclosed Monday ago. She said she will be peared slightly dispirited.
that she recently under- restricted in the amount of Dr. Mohamed Bydon said
went back surgery to treat travel she can do and the in a statement released
an injury impacting her time she can spend stand- by the governor's office
spine and that her activ- ing while she recovers. that he treated her for an
ity would be limited during Noem is in the midst of a "acute condition impact-
several months of recovery. reelection campaign and ing her lumbar spine."
The 50-year-old Republi- is also considered a poten- He added that the surgery
can governor said she trav- tial 2024 White House con- was successful and that
eled to the Mayo Clinic in tender. the governor is in "excel-
Rochester, Minnesota, for "I won't be able to stand for lent health." The governor's
the surgery after receiving more than 10, 15 minutes office and her campaign
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the George R. Brown medical treatment for sev- at a time, I won't be able spokesman did not immedi-
Convention Center, May 27, 2022, in Houston. eral weeks in South Dakota. to get out and about South ately respond to a question
Associated Press
She said in a video posted Dakota like I love to do so on how she was injured.q